For those of you that are somewhere between sizes, did you size up or down for SS?

For my last SS I sized down, which seemed to work well because most of the climbing was out of the saddle. I'm getting ready to buy my next SS and I'm wondering if I should go with tried and true or try something new. Thanks for any opinions!

12-22-2012

jeffzx12

Hi SIzzler
I normally ride a L (6.2) but went a XL carve SS and happy I did. Allows me to move around a bit more when I'm mashing!
Cheers.

12-22-2012

.40AET

Seat post length usually limits me to only going up in size.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12-22-2012

OneBadWagon

If I'm standing a lot, I like more reach.

12-22-2012

ask

My $0.02...

I am usually between a Lg and Med frame. My general rule of thumb is buy a smaller frame and stretch w/ components. However, I think it really depends on how you want your bike to feel and how/what you ride.

My last SS was a large 29er. It was technically the correct size for me, but always felt big on technical trails. On on my latest SS, I went with a slightly smaller Med frame. I kept a short stem and put a dropper post on it. For XC it might be a bit short... but I could always stretch a bit with a longer stem. It pedals great and handles tight singletrack/bumps/jumps well. It feels similar to my trail bike or my DJ, but w/ 29er wheels. Fun stuff!

12-22-2012

J.B. Weld

I am of the opinion that bike fit is pretty important and should be one of the first considerations in selecting a frame. It's not always possible to get a perfect fit from a stock frame but remember that brand x is not always going to have the same top tube length as brand y. Know your preferred seat height, handlebar reach and relative height and try to find a frame that lets you get in that position without resorting to wacky stem or seat post length modifications.

12-22-2012

mtnbikej

I like the bigger frame for when I'm standing......and we all know on the SS you spend a lot of time standing.

Don't like too feel like the bars are underneath me on the smaller frame.

12-22-2012

zaskaranddriver

My recent build ended up a little short in the top tube, which as mtnbikej indicates, left me feeling a tad crunched on the first few climbs. However, the bike immediately felt lighter in its dynamics, and being slightly more upright is easier on my lower back. Having gotten used to it's shortness I don't even notice it on climbs anymore. For me going small was all win.

12-23-2012

Tulok

I think the bigger fit is better, it lets you put on a shorter stem and you can stand up without having your knees above the bars. Plus when you're seated on a downhill, you feel that much more "in" the bike.

12-23-2012

edubfromktown

Quote:

Originally Posted by ask

My $0.02...

I am usually between a Lg and Med frame. My general rule of thumb is buy a smaller frame and stretch w/ components. However, I think it really depends on how you want your bike to feel and how/what you ride.

My last SS was a large 29er. It was technically the correct size for me, but always felt big on technical trails. On on my latest SS, I went with a slightly smaller Med frame. I kept a short stem and put a dropper post on it. For XC it might be a bit short... but I could always stretch a bit with a longer stem. It pedals great and handles tight singletrack/bumps/jumps well. It feels similar to my trail bike or my DJ, but w/ 29er wheels. Fun stuff!

+1 though it really depends on personal preference. My first SS was a GF Rig 19". At 6'2", I was on the tall side for it. Rode all over the place, occasional 40+ milers too and it was fine. I recently built a large SIR 9 rigid SS. Feels as though I have a bit more room but overall the ride is not dramatically different.

12-23-2012

Sheepo5669

Find one that fits you MR. Sizzle Chest

12-11-2016

michael1

Old thread, but I'm curious what people's thoughts on this are. I think I might upgrade my On One 26 frame to an Ibis Tranny 26 when a great deal comes along, but since there's so few, there are limited options for size. I'm 5'7.5" with long arms so would a large also work for me or should I stick with finding a medium.

Unrelated, but On One fits a 650b in the back and 29 front which 26 Tranny does not... haven't made the conversion yet, but planning on doing it soon. Would I miss the larger wheels going to a 26b on a Tranny?

12-11-2016

mack_turtle

I rode frames that were a size too small for me for a long time. No more of that!

12-11-2016

*OneSpeed*

Quote:

Originally Posted by mack_turtle

I rode frames that were a size too small for me for a long time. No more of that!

ditto

12-11-2016

DeeZee

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael1

Old thread, but I'm curious what people's thoughts on this are. I think I might upgrade my On One 26 frame to an Ibis Tranny 26 when a great deal comes along, but since there's so few, there are limited options for size. I'm 5'7.5" with long arms so would a large also work for me or should I stick with finding a medium.

Unrelated, but On One fits a 650b in the back and 29 front which 26 Tranny does not... haven't made the conversion yet, but planning on doing it soon. Would I miss the larger wheels going to a 26b on a Tranny?

That's a tough one. Normally I am long TT / short stem guy but my SS has a shorter TT ,100mm stem and wide WIDE...bars. The bike feels so dam good I wouldn't change a thing.

12-11-2016

ARandomBiker

Choosing a 'size' is bass-ackwards, IMO; saying you'd ride a Medium geared bike, but want a Lg SS means nothing unless you at least compare the ETT or front center.
I'm really comfortable with a 600mm ETT and an 80mm stem.
Case in point: an 18" medium On-One Scandal or inbred has an ETT of 602mm. A small Vassago JabberWocky has an ETT of 600. Both bikes feel perfect to me. A medium Jabber has a 615mm ETT. I'm not saying 15mm is a lot, but we make stem changes and seatpost setback changes in 5-10mm increments. Seems silly to make a change like that just because they both say medium. 615 would be reachey for me, so a small Vassago would be more consistent with what I feel good with

12-12-2016

edubfromktown

Really depends on the geometry and what sort of riding is involved. Frame sizes vary widely between manufacturers too so sizing by frame measurements is a better approach than Sm, Med, Large, etc.

I've had stretched out SS's which are great for longer rides (say 45-90 miler range). I tend to like a more compact setup for technical trails.

12-12-2016

jurso

I bought the new Kona Unit in size medium. I like the fit and it feels great but now i'm having doubts should i have to buy large because the seatpost is all the way up to minimum insertion mark. I'm 5'9" and have 32" inseam.

12-12-2016

Andy R

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tulok

Plus when you're seated on a downhill, you feel that much more "in" the bike.

Why would you be sitting going downhill? Unless it's just on asphalt and then it doesn't matter anyway.

12-12-2016

*OneSpeed*

Quote:

Originally Posted by jurso

I bought the new Kona Unit in size medium. I like the fit and it feels great but now i'm having doubts should i have to buy large because the seatpost is all the way up to minimum insertion mark. I'm 5'9" and have 32" inseam.

if the bike fits well otherwise, all you need is a longer seatpost, not a new frame.

12-12-2016

jurso

Quote:

Originally Posted by *OneSpeed*

if the bike fits well otherwise, all you need is a longer seatpost, not a new frame.

That's what i thought. Thank you.

12-12-2016

economatic

I agree with most of what others said--I prefer a half size up for SS (assuming that's available) if you're comparing the same geometry. But really, I think it should be on a case-by-case basis where you're looking at overall bike fit instead of making a blanket statement about frame size.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jurso

I bought the new Kona Unit in size medium. I like the fit and it feels great but now i'm having doubts should i have to buy large because the seatpost is all the way up to minimum insertion mark. I'm 5'9" and have 32" inseam.

I totally understand--I'm 5'6'' with a 31'' inseam and often have to run 400mm seatposts on medium frames; otherwise, the seatpost will creak if it's close to the min insertion point. As a result I'm starting to get a collection of seatposts that are too short. And of course the trend now is to allow more clearance for the massive dropper posts. But I digress...

12-12-2016

t_surfer

It really depends on how you ride, and what you want to ride, that determines if you should go with a larger frame or a smaller one. If you mainly cruise fire roads and a few single trails that are not too steep up or down, then a larger frame is better. If you manly ride fast downhills that are not steep (ie fire roads) then a larger and longer TT frame will be fine, too. If you like to jump in the bike park, and generally ride twisty trails, and if you like to throw the bike around, then a smaller size frame will be better.